Tattoos and T1

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Tdm

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
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Thinking about a diabetes alert tattoo in case of emergency. Thinking about back of wrist.
Is this sensible?
 
Thinking about a diabetes alert tattoo in case of emergency. Thinking about back of wrist.
Is this sensible?
I have one it's over 40 years old and not very readable now.
Make sure everything is clean and good hygiene is observed and you should be fine.

Do make sure you leave enough room to tattoo "cured" if it ever happens 🙂
 
I have one it's over 40 years old and not very readable now.
Make sure everything is clean and good hygiene is observed and you should be fine.

Do make sure you leave enough room to tattoo "cured" if it ever happens 🙂
Just another 5 years, eh?

As for what it would read, i'm torn. I'd want something stylish, individual, perdonal, yet legible in case of emergency, one that lets the empergency responders know at a glance my condition, yet doesn't remind me of it.
I fear this is too much being heeped on one little tattoo. I may need a backpiece (lol)
I did think of a tattoo in my 20s when it was all a bit more unusual, but trying to think what to get was too hard and i ended up in analysis paralysis. But now, well, i have a stronger reason. Or excuse.
Perhaps the script with some 'beardsley' style flourishes? I did think phoenix but bit cliqued? I studied microbiology at uni so did think some nod towards the yeast that brew the insulin, a strand of dna....

No problems with diabetic wound healing? Would the back of the wrist be seen quickly by medical professions? I imagine the inner wrist would hurt more....

Am a 55 y/o female, you don't think its some mid life crisis thingy?
 
I think from a purely practical point of view that it wouldn't work as intended. They're so common now that I suspect it would be "invisible" to a paramedic, especially if woven into a design. But that's just my opinion, maybe find a paramedics forum & ask there?

In the meantime, probably best to stick with a wrist band.
 
I agree with the above. Unless you make it obviously medical (which might look ugly) then it could be overlooked. Why not just have a MedicAlert bracelet on your wrist and, if you want a tattoo, choose a nice design of your choice that’s nothing to do with diabetes.

That way, if/when we have a cure, you can simply toss your bracelet away and move on joyfully.
 
Why not have it further up your inner arm, half way to your elbow (can't bear the thought of anyone tatooing over their inner wrist with all their veins - surely a very dangerous place!!), and it simply saying, in clear, small letters (no ornaments):

Diabetic.

If you added your blood group - eg, A+ - then that would not only be helpful to paramedics but also emphasise the tattoo is not for ornament, but function.

I agree that if it looks too ornamental it won't be noticed by paramedics.
 
I am a first responder. The days of taking your pulse manually and grabbing your wrist are less common. Most of the kit we and paramedics use take all your vital signs so your wrist won’t necessarily be scrutinised unless that is the site of an injury or a radial pulse is being checked. Your best bet as has been said is buy a five quid alert wrist band and as a back up if you are on your own make sure your emergency ID on your phone is completed although this equally may not be checked in the first instance. I am also an Environmental Health Officer and have inspected tattoo parlours. Just make sure they are licensed or registered appropriately.
 
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